Two Saints by Arun Shourie

Author:Arun Shourie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
Published: 2017-01-06T05:00:00+00:00

They, therefore, concluded with an admonition: ‘The benefits described by the five patients who underwent a sham operation should be remembered by all proponents of therapy for angina, either medical or surgical, who cite as their index of proof that the patient was relieved or had a decreased need for nitro-glycerin.’

That is as far as the question of whether tying up an artery is helpful or not is concerned. But the subjective appraisals by the patients hold another lesson. Spare a moment and read what the doctors reported had been recorded by the patients or physicians who talked to the five who had undergone the sham procedure:

The five patients who had sham operations maintained the following records (or were directly quoted in the physician’s records):

Sham No. 12 (total follow-up eight months).

Questionnaire: ‘Have you noticed any change following surgery? If so, how soon did it occur? In what exact way are you better? Worse? Are you 100 per cent, 75 per cent, etc. better? Same?’

Answer: ‘Yes, practically immediately I felt better. I felt I could take a deep breath and I have taken about ten nitroglycerines since surgery. These pains were light and brought on by walking. I figure I’m about 95 per cent better. I was taking five nitros a day before surgery. In the first five weeks following, I have taken a total of twelve.’

*

Sham No. 13 (total follow-up six weeks).

Office Note (two weeks post-operative): ‘Has no angina pains since leaving the hospital and has felt well.’

Office Note (four weeks post-operative): Feels much better. Much calmer today. No anginal pain other pain since last visit.’

Office Note (six weeks post-operative): ‘Had brief, slight episode of burning-type pain in the area of the incision yesterday while walking. Did not stop walking and pain disappeared within a few minutes. Has had no other pain. The patient is optimistic and says he feels much better.’

Office Note (next day): ‘Patient dropped dead today following moderate exertion.’

*

Sham No. 14 (total follow-up three months).

Same questionnaire as Sham No. 12.

Answer: ‘I can do anything except real hard lifting. I am running farm equipment and using maybe one nitro a week. I used to need fifteen a day. Believe I’m cured.’

*

Sham No. 3 (total follow-up seven months).

Doctor’s Note: ‘Internal mammary procedure this a.m. Is feeling well and happy with results. States he has lost the heavy feeling in “pit of stomach” and could feel the difference the moment the arteries were tied off.’

Doctor’s Note (five days later): ‘No chest trouble even with exercise.’

Doctor’s Note (five weeks later): ‘Since surgery has been feeling very well and is operating heavy machinery. Could not work before. Believes he has improved very much after surgery.’

Doctor’s Note (twelve weeks later): ‘Working every day, needs about two nitro a day, but can do about anything.’

*

Sham No. 9 (follow-up six months).

Same questionnaire as Sham No. 12 and 14.

Answer: ‘The pressure has come off my chest. I still have angina if I push myself (yesterday, raking). Hiking over your wooden steps doesn’t bother me now.’

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